Sullivan’s Crossing Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Detours

Sullivan’s Crossing Season 1 Episode 3, “Detours,” continues to draw viewers into the story by exploring family alienation and increasing the intensity with a final shocking twist.

It finally begins to unpack the estrangement between Maggie Kohan and her father, Sully, by delving into the resentment between Maggie and Lola Gunderson. Additionally, it delves into another family argument that deteriorates into a tragedy.

The episode illustrates how Sullivan’s Crossing is continuing to find its stride and becoming more complex and believable as it continues.

The most interesting development is the revelation about Maggie’s and Lola’s relationship. While there were hints about friction between Maggie and Lola, it is finally confirmed that Lola is Sully’s stepdaughter.

While Sully appears to no longer be with Lola’s mother, he still treats her like a daughter. In fact, he almost treats her more like a daughter than Maggie.

The disparity in their treatment is handled subtly, with Sully merely appearing ever so slightly more open and compassionate with Lola.

However, the difference is still noticeable, especially when Maggie has been trying and failing to make any headway in their relationship.

Lola’s jabs at Maggie are a little exaggerated, though. While animosity and some awkwardness are expected, the show threatens to tread into silly territory if performances try to highlight resentment too excessively.

Lola pointedly ignoring Maggie while acting sweetly around everyone else and trying to make a big show of her affection for Sully seems a bit much.

After all, the problem in this situation is Sully for not treating his daughters equally or trying to help them build a bond.

Trying to turn Lola into a sort of antagonist may erroneously take some of the heat and responsibility off Sully and take away from the fact that this situation is far more complex than jealousy and competition.

Maggie and Lola also seem a bit too old to resort to pettiness around each other, making their dynamic a little strange.

Still, it is encouraging to finally be piecing together some of the complicated history of Sully and Maggie. Meanwhile, the episode also takes an unexpectedly intense and shocking turn at the end.

Another family is paralleling Maggie and Sully with a fractured relationship of their own; only the child, Chelsea, in this situation, is much younger than Maggie, and her resentment of her parents leads her to run away.

On top of a missing child, Franke Cranebear is unexpectedly critically injured, with the episode ending leaving viewers uncertain if he’ll survive.

Once again, there’s a feeling that the show is doing too much. It’s not enough that there’s one intense drama unfolding — there also has to be a critical injury for one of the kindest characters.

Even though it isn’t realistic, it does succeed in not being predictable or mundane. The show is slowly adding some intensity and drawing viewers in with more twists and turns.

Even though the exaggeration and over-acting need to be reined in a bit, it is an improvement upon the last two episodes.

Seeing the show grow better with each episode is quite encouraging, as it raises the potential for the remainder of the season.

While not quite perfect, this episode makes returning next week quite easy as viewers are desperate to find out what happens next and more understanding of what’s happening between Maggie and Sully.

What did you think of this episode of Sullivan’s Crossing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Sullivan’s Crossing airs Wednesday at 8/7c on The CW.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

‘Wild Cards’ and ‘Sight Unseen’ Ordered to Air in 2024 on The CW